So You Want to Be a Gigolo

Seeking to fill a massive void (pun intended), the Shady Lady Ranch in Nevada has received approval from the county to hire the state’s first male sex worker. A story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal made The Drudge Report, and more than 150 men from around the world have applied for the position (again, pun intended.) I arranged an exclusive interview with Bobbi Davis, who has been the madam at the Shady Lady Ranch for 17 years, and I asked her what she will be looking for when she hires the country’s only legal professional gigolo.

If you have ever wondered how to become a male prostitute, take note.

The Shady Lady Ranch’s first male sex worker, ideally, is at least 5-feet-10, in fairly good shape and is between the ages of 21 and early 40s. Why these attributes? Bobbi said that she talked to potential female customers and this is what they want. Yes, brothels do market research.

Physique is important, but Davis sounds as if personality will be even more important. Said Davis, “The personality is someone who is outgoing, a good listener, a good conversationalist, someone who can really communicate and understand that it’s not all about them. That’s what women like. Women like to talk more than men do. The guy has to be someone who can carry on a good conversation.”

Yes, Davis just described the man most women want to marry. That guy will soon be available for a 40-minute rental.

Job applicants must submit a biography, head shot and body shot. No references are necessary. The men who have the right look and background will speak on the phone with Davis. If the call goes well, the candidate will visit the brothel for an interview. The interview will consist of talking and looking. Bobbi said the Shady Lady Ranch does not use a casting couch, although she suspects that other brothels do. She will take a look at, shall we say, the size of the boat, which will be a factor, but not the determining one. “It’s not a major thing, but it will be a consideration of some kind,” she said.

The main consideration, Davis said, will be the candidate’s “it factor.” “It’s that intangible thing that makes you want to know this person, and meet them and be around them,” she said. “You can’t really put your finger on what it is about them.”

It’s good work if you can get it. The brothel is open from 7 am to midnight; working hours vary. At first, the new guy will be available only by appointment. The brothel has not determined a pay structure, but women at the ranch average $2,000 per week, and a male sex worker could expect to match or top that, provided he works hard (pun fully intended and I swear that was the last one.)

Like female sex workers, Shady Lady’s “prostidude” will have to build a clientele. Women attract lucrative clienteles through good service and reliability. Davis said the resident stud will not be available for gay men. “Our business model is primarily for women,” she said. Couples, though, can request his services. Davis said it was the volume of couples requesting both a man and woman that led her to consider hiring a man.

“We have had couples come in that want to add a girl and a guy to the mix and we can’t offer the guy,” Davis said. “Over the years, since we’ve had those requests, and a few other requests, I decided to at least give it a try on a small scale.”

Davis expects that the female clients, like the male clients, “will come from all walks of life.” She mentioned “business women” as one group of potential clients.

What name the new guy goes by is up to him. He can use his real name or he can Dirk Diggler himself. The name will be decided early on so that the brothel can promote him on its Web site, which will feature photos and a bio.

Davis said the women who work at the brothel are open to the idea of sharing their workplace with a man. The madam recently interviewed one handsome gentleman who caught the entire ranch’s attention. The ladies of the brothel were in the kitchen, admiring him, mouths open. One of them asked Davis, ‘Is that our new plumber?’”